Talk Wisdom's goal is to defend the tenets and values of Biblical Christian faith. We defend our Constitutional Republic and Charters of Freedom, especially when speaking out against destructive social and political issues. As followers of our Savior and Lord, we should boldly stand up for Jesus Christ in our present circumstances. He is our Savior, Lord, and King, and His love needs to be shed abroad in our hearts and in our world – now.

Archive for the ‘Revelation’ Category

While watching the Revelation Song music video, I was reminded of the scene in the movie The Passion of the Christ where Mary, the mother of Jesus, came to him as He had fallen underneath the weight of the cross on the way to Calvary. He looked at Mary and said, “Behold, I make all things new.”

That is a statement from the book of Revelation.

Rev 21:5

Then He who sat on the throne said, “Behold, I make all things new.” And He said to me,[fn] “Write, for these words are true and faithful.”

When I think about the evil, sin, and death that all human beings (including me!) have put forth and are guilty of on this earth, it deeply grieves me. God’s Word tells us why:

Rom 8:22

For we know that the whole creation groans and labors with birth pangs together until now.

When Jesus started his earthly ministry, he said:

Mat 4:17

From that time Jesus began to preach and to say, “Repent, for the kingdom of heaven is at hand.”

Those who refuse to repent:

Rev 21:8

“But the cowardly, unbelieving,[fn] abominable, murderers, sexually immoral, sorcerers, idolaters, and all liars shall have their part in the lake which burns with fire and brimstone, which is the second death.”

Without Jesus’ sacrificial death on the cross for our sins, His resurrection to life, and subsequent ascension into heaven to be seated at the right hand of the Father; all of us would deserve that punishment!

Because of the sin we all bear upon our own souls, we either die with such sin or we repent!

Jesus Christ took the sins of the whole world upon Himself in the greatest act of mercy ever known, in order that we would not have to pay the penalty of sin ourselves in eternity! No greater love is there than for a Man to give his life for his fellow man! That is what Jesus accomplished when he obeyed perfectly the will of the Father in order to achieve redemption for those who would believe in the Son of God, Jesus Christ, and follow him!

Recall what the prophet Jeremiah wrote:

Jer 17:9

“The heart is deceitful above all things, And desperately wicked; Who can know it?

None of us are exempt from that reality! However, the very next verse tells us what the LORD searches for in each person who has ever lived!

Jer 17:10

I, the LORD, search the heart, I test the mind, Even to give every man according to his ways, According to the fruit of his doings.

This verse gives us the hope of the coming Messiah:

Jer 17:7

“Blessed is the man who trusts in the LORD, And whose hope is the LORD.

Revelation informs us of Who Jesus is!

Rev 22:13

“I am the Alpha and the Omega, the Beginning and the End, the First and the Last.”[fn]

Rev 22:14

Blessed are those who do His commandments,[fn] that they may have the right to the tree of life, and may enter through the gates into the city.

Who Am I? by Casting Crowns reiterates this truth:

We are still given warnings in the book of Revelation:

Rev 22:15

But[fn] outside are dogs and sorcerers and sexually immoral and murderers and idolaters, and whoever loves and practices a lie.

John identifies Who is speaking to him:

Rev 22:16

“I, Jesus, have sent My angel to testify to you these things in the churches. I am the Root and the Offspring of David, the Bright and Morning Star.”

And those whose names are in the Book of Life are given eternal life with God!

Rev 22:17

And the Spirit and the bride say, “Come!” And let him who hears say, “Come!” And let him who thirsts come. Whoever desires, let him take the water of life freely.

Back to Jeremiah:

Jer 17:13

O LORD, the hope of Israel, All who forsake You shall be ashamed.

“Those who depart from Me Shall be written in the earth, Because they have forsaken the LORD, The fountain of living waters.”

Jer 17:14

Heal me, O LORD, and I shall be healed; Save me, and I shall be saved, For You are my praise.

The cries of hope, healing, and salvation in Jeremiah are realized in Revelation:

Rev 22:20

He who testifies to these things says, “Surely I am coming quickly.” Amen. Even so, come, Lord Jesus!

Tomorrow is Palm Sunday. It is the day when we celebrate the triumphal entry of Jesus Christ into Jerusalem, riding on a donkey.

True Discernment has a great post up describing this event. I suggest reading it all.

There are several paragraphs in that essay that I would like to highlight; particularly because in a similar manner as back then, there is currently such a heightened and frenzied political atmosphere today here in America! People are looking for some sort of “savior” who will get us out of the political, social, cultural, and financial mess we find ourselves in.

Excerpt:

On that first Palm Sunday, the people also honored Jesus verbally: “The crowds that went ahead of him and those that followed shouted, ‘Hosanna to the Son of David!’ / ‘Blessed is he who comes in the name of the Lord!’ / ‘Hosanna in the highest heaven!’” (Matthew 21:9).

In their praise of Jesus, the Jewish crowds were quoting Psalm 118:25–26, an acknowledged prophecy of the Christ. The allusion to a Messianic psalm drew resentment from the religious leaders present: “Some of the Pharisees in the crowd said to Jesus, ‘Teacher, rebuke your disciples!’” (Luke 19:39). However, Jesus saw no need to rebuke those who told the truth. He replied, “I tell you . . . if they keep quiet, the stones will cry out” (Luke 19:40).

Some 450 to 500 years prior to Jesus’ arrival in Jerusalem, the prophet Zechariah had prophesied the event we now call Palm Sunday: “Rejoice greatly, Daughter Zion! / Shout, Daughter Jerusalem! / See, your king comes to you, / righteous and victorious, / lowly and riding on a donkey, / on a colt, the foal of a donkey” (Zechariah 9:9).

The prophecy was fulfilled in every particular, and it was indeed a time of rejoicing, as Jerusalem welcomed their King. Unfortunately, the celebration was not to last. The crowds looked for a Messiah who would rescue them politically and free them nationally, but Jesus had come to save them spiritually. First things first, and mankind’s primary need is spiritual, not political, cultural, or national salvation.

When we look at this with wisdom filled eyes, we will notice that nothing has really changed since then! Mankind’s primary need is STILL spiritual; above all else! Of course, the political, cultural, and religious (i.e. “national salvation”) challenges going on can affect one’s spiritual decisions. The crowd cheered Jesus on Palm Sunday; but because their expectations of a Messiah were not met, they yelled “crucify him” just days later!

Excerpt from article link:

Even as the coatless multitudes waved the palm branches and shouted for joy, they missed the true reason for Jesus’ presence. They could neither see nor understand the cross. That’s why, “as [Jesus] approached Jerusalem and saw the city, he wept over it and said, ‘If you, even you, had only known on this day what would bring you peace—but now it is hidden from your eyes. The days will come upon you when your enemies . . . will not leave one stone on another, because you did not recognize the time of God’s coming to you” (Luke 19:41–47). It is a tragic thing to see the Savior but not recognize Him for who He is. The crowds who were crying out “Hosanna!” on Palm Sunday were crying out “Crucify Him!” later that week (Matthew 27:22–23).

Look at what they missed from the Old Testament Scriptures that would have helped to inform them who He is:

Zec 9:9 Rejoice greatly, O Daughter of Zion! Shout, Daughter of Jerusalem! See, your king comes to you, righteous and having salvation, gentle and riding on a donkey, on a colt, the foal of a donkey.

Mat 21:5 “Say to the Daughter of Zion, ‘See, your king comes to you, gentle and riding on a donkey, on a colt, the foal of a donkey.’ ”

This is just one prophecy that was exactly fulfilled by Jesus Christ. In fact, Jesus fulfilled hundreds of prophecies!

For a crowd to cheer Jesus one day, and jeer at him and scream “crucify him!” just six days later shows how utterly faithless people can be.

We can easily see how they can turn from the truth when they are not anchored in God’s Word and Truth!

How can we reconcile this?

Here’s the answer:

Jesus is the faithful one. He is faithful even when I am not (2 Timothy 2:13).

That is the crux of the matter. Even when we aren’t faithful, Jesus ALWAYS IS!! That is why we can trust Him with our very lives – now and for all eternity. How great is our God! He is the TRUE hope for our lives.

The following is a timeless truth:

I no longer live, but Christ lives in me and the life I live today in the body is by faith of the Son of God who loved me and gave his life for me (Galatians 2:20).

Jesus loved us all THAT MUCH – that He would die for our salvation. We know we can trust His promises, for three days later, he rose from the dead.

Excerpt from link above:

There is coming a day when every knee will bow and every tongue confess that Jesus Christ is Lord (Philippians 2:10–11).

The worship will be real then. Also, John records a scene in heaven that features the eternal celebration of the risen Lord: “There before me was a great multitude that no one could count, from every nation, tribe, people and language, standing before the throne and before the Lamb. They were wearing white robes and were holding palm branches in their hands” (Revelation 7:9, emphasis added). These palm-bearing saints will shout, “Salvation belongs to our God, who sits on the throne, and to the Lamb” (verse 10), and who can measure the sum of their joy?

This morning, I ran across a worship song and music video that sounded vaguely familiar. However, the lyrics were a bit different.

Then, I recalled that another longer version of the song was often sung at the church’s children’s AWANA program! I was an AWANA leader for three years back when my now-adult daughter attended. It has probably been over 20 years since I have heard this beautiful song!

If the music video does not play at this blog, please go to the Youtube link:

The Lord is mine and I am His, His banner over me is love. The Lord is mine and I am His, His banner over me is love. The Lord is mine and I am His, His banner over me is love. His banner over me is love!

He brought me to His banqueting table, His banner over me is love. He brought me to His banqueting table, His banner over me is love. He brought me to His banqueting table, His banner over me is love. His banner over me is love!

He lifted me up into heavenly places, His banner over me is love. He lifted me up into heavenly places, His banner over me is love. He lifted me up into heavenly places, His banner over me is love. His banner over me is love!

He is the vine and we are the branches, His banner over me is love. He is the vine and we are the branches, His banner over me is love. He is the vine and we are the branches, His banner over me is love. His banner over me is love!

Jesus is the rock of my salvation, His banner over me is love. Jesus is the rock of my salvation, His banner over me is love. Jesus is the rock of my salvation, His banner over me is love. His banner over me is love!

There’s one way to peace through the power of the cross, His banner over me is love, There’s one way to peace through the power of the cross, His banner over me is love, There’s one way to peace through the power of the cross, His banner over me is love. His banner over me is love!

*******

Yes! There IS ONE WAY TO PEACE – and it is through Jesus Christ and the power of the Cross!

The text from the song comes from the Song of Solomon:

Sng 2:4

The Shulamite to the Daughters of Jerusalem He brought me to the banqueting house, And his banner over me was love.

The beautiful commentary HERE describes how this Scripture applies to Jesus Christ, our Bridegroom for eternity, and His Church – the Bride.

The banqueting table spoken of in the song can also be applied towards the future marriage supper of the Lamb as recorded and described in Revelation 19.Rev 19:9

Then he said to me, “Write: ‘Blessed are those who are called to the marriage supper of the Lamb!’ ” And he said to me, “These are the true sayings of God.”

This post (that I have reblogged here – link below commentary) and the links to back it up are all truly excellent! People who are unfamiliar with Bible prophecy will not see what is coming. The ignorant, which includes many in the Democrat party who will side with Ozero on the Iran deal, think that their “dreams of utopia” can come true. Through the conscientious stupidity of believing that they can achieve the ending of wars with bad deals (through trusting state sponsors of terrorism??!!) like this one will inevitably end up as being the vehicle that leads to more terrorism, deep mourning, destruction, and death.

I do have a question. Since Ozero has now been revealed as Shia Muslim, why did he bow to the Saudi king way back in the beginning of his awful pResidency in our White House? Since that king is Sunni, wouldn’t the puppet Ozero choose to not bow to him? Did he do it as some sort of ruse to wink at his supporters and confuse his enemies?

I have a suspicion that he did it via the lying techniques of taqiyya, which allows a Muslim to fake allegiance to one nation or another in order to carry out the secret ultimate goal of their future destruction. Well, the “secret” is now totally visible to those who have “ears to hear what the Spirit says to the churches.”

There are Christians (perhaps many could be labeled CINOs – “Christian in name only”) who will be caught completely off guard because their pastors in their apostate/heretical churches have never covered the book of Revelation nor studied biblical prophecy. I know of one in the next town over. Satan loves those churches for several reasons, but he keeps those minds away from that book of the Bible because he doesn’t want people to be blessed by God (as it states at the beginning and end of Revelation) nor does he want people to know about and study his ultimate demise!

For genuine believers in our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ, no matter what transpires here on this earth, we have THE Living Hope through the resurrection:

1Pe 1:3

Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, who according to His abundant mercy has begotten us again to a living hope through the resurrection of Jesus Christ from the dead,

1Pe 1:4

to an inheritance incorruptible and undefiled and that does not fade away, reserved in heaven for you,

1Pe 1:5

who are kept by the power of God through faith for salvation ready to be revealed in the last time.

If you are a skeptic, I challenge you to work your way through this entire post — including the material in every link I provide — and ask yourself how so many different prophecies, written by so many different people separated by so many years can suddenly start to align without having to be forced unless there is something to them after all?

Now, to those believers who may not be fully aware of what prophecy actually says, understand that Obama is rushing us toward the Day of the Lord. Here is how the events of our time align with the Lord’s prophecies.

In a previous post, I linked to a blog called “Possessing the Treasure.” The excellent essay over there discusses 3 of the 7 different churches from the book of Revelation, and reveals the apostate church of Laodicea and how it compares to the apostate church(es) in our time. After reading it again today, I thought that it deserved a post all of its own.

The author shared what the book of Revelation stated regarding three different churches. Briefly, the church at Sardis (Revelation 3:1-2 NASB)- is called “the dead church”, Philadelphia (Revelation 3:7-12 NASB) – had no condemnation because they were “not compromising with the pressures of apostasy, but are overcoming or conquering in their obedience and faithfulness”, and Laodicea (Revelation 3:14-21 NASB) – “They claim they are the ones doing Christianity the right way, but are blind or deceived into not seeing the truth of their spiritual bankruptcy, which is that they are wretched, pitiable, poor, blind, and naked.”

He also shared a letter written by his great aunt to his grandfather, sometime in the 1940’s – 50’s.

Within that letter, his great aunt writes about the spiritual drought happening at that time, yet a good preacher who stands with God and upon God’s Word and doesn’t stray into apostasy can “strengthen the faith and bring joy into their hearts knowing that He (Christ) is coming soon.”

Each generation needs to be strengthened in this way because we do not know the day or hour of Christ’s return.

The author at that blog, Mike Ratcliff, writes:

The apostasy that my grandfather and his sister were discussing had to do with a temporal focus within churches. People were simply being religious. There was little evidence of the working of the Holy Spirit in the people’s lives while at the same time there were counterfeits and charlatans running amok with their false, man-focused “gospels” of “health, wealth, and prosperity” confusing many. In the midst of all this, in genuine churches the transforming work of Sanctification (Romans 12:1-2) was not in evidence. Churches may have been stable in growth or even growing, but the focus within was on religiosity rather than the Cross of Christ and preaching the Gospel and the spiritual growth of believers.

There are an alarming number of churches where the pastors refuse to present, study, or even mention what is written in the book of Revelation. A friend of mine is concerned that her adult daughter is in one of them, and thus she is missing a key portion of God’s Word in her life.

Why would a church purposely keep the information from its congregation – especially when that particular book of the Bible that states that “you will be blessed” by reading it…both at the beginning and also at the end of the book? Dr. David Jeremiah states that it’s one of satan’s ploys that (apparently) has captured the minds of some pastors and preachers, so that they deem the book “too hard” to preach about or to even teach to their own congregations. Of course we know that satan wants lost souls to stay that way. In fact the devil wants to keep all away from the Bible in its entirety. But why would this book be even more hated by God’s adversary? Probably because we learn of satan’s doom in that book!

The letter written by Mike’s great aunt was truly accurate and prophetic. The apostasy is much worse in our time, but she noticed that it was growing way back in the 1940’s and 1950’s.

I was born in 1954, and have seen the exponential deterioration of so-called “Christian” churches over the course of my own lifetime. Churches that I once attended in the past unfortunately turned away from the truth and went the seeker-sensitive, prosperity route. They noticeably lost their way and lost many attendees because of it.

The cross-less gospel is popular in a lot of leftist churches that excuse the sin of Sodom (among several other sins like abortion) and ignore the judgment that is to come due to un-repentance.

One church that I used to attend even went so far as to remove the huge name of Jesus (which was formerly displayed across the center front of the sanctuary behind the pastor’s podium), and replaced it with a big screen!

What was very odd and shocking (to me) about this move is that there were existing big screens placed years ago on the wall at either side behind the podium! I discovered this “change” last year on Good Friday and it bothered me immensely then, as it still does now! Who in their right mind ( minds which were supposedly guided by the Holy Spirit?) would do such a thing!? I cannot, in good conscience, ever go back to that church! The convenience of attending their once per year Good Friday service won’t bring me back. I’d rather drive an hour down to the Rock Church for their evening Good Friday service this year!

We need to remain diligent in this time of heresy and apostasy, and point out what the true church should be like and doing (e.g. the church of Philadelphia in Revelation). We need to continue to speak out against those “churches” and “preachers” who would turn people away from truth of the Gospel of Christ and God’s Word, the Bible, towards the evil of error, heresy and apostasy.

Have you ever listened to an honest song of grief and lament which can turn your heart back to joy? That is what I have found via the lyrics and redemptive message of “Torn” from Tenth Avenue North – a Contemporary Christian band. Do you know someone who might desperately need to hear this song’s message?

That is what happened to me during an hour and a half drive home last night. I have heard this song played many times (it’s in the WOW 2014 Greatest Hits CD), but one person – in particular – came to mind and I wanted to share it with him. But after going to the You tube site and seeing the 3,127,990 views of this video, I realized that there are probably hundreds of thousands who could benefit from hearing this song and understanding the lyrics pointing towards redemption of those with hurt lives and lost souls.

I have found that many people do not want to even talk about all of the evil, carnage, despair, and fear that is occurring these days here in America, and even more so all around the world.

Those who are willing to discuss what is happening as we catapult closer to the end times are often fellow Christians who know that “we are not of this world” and one day, the pain and suffering will end.

Those of us who have been redeemed by grace through faith – because of the shed blood of our Lord Jesus Christ at the cross of Calvary – know that Jesus’ resurrection from the grave has provided proof of the hope and promise of salvation. Therefore, it is up to us to spread the Gospel message to those who are still under the grip of the evil one.

In the Book of Revelation, we get a description of one of the 7 churches; the church at Sardis:

Rev 3:1

“And to the angel of the church in Sardis write, ‘These things says He who has the seven Spirits of God and the seven stars: “I know your works, that you have a name that you are alive, but you are dead.

Rev 3:2

“Be watchful, and strengthen the things which remain, that are ready to die, for I have not found your works perfect before God. [fn]
Rev 3:3

“Remember therefore how you have received and heard; hold fast and repent. Therefore if you will not watch, I will come upon you as a thief, and you will not know what hour I will come upon you.

Rev 3:4

“You [fn] have a few names even in Sardis who have not defiled their garments; and they shall walk with Me in white, for they are worthy.

Within the church at Sardis, there were “tares” among the wheat of the saved. Today, there are some who think that they are saved because they attend church. But John wrote what “the Spirit says to the churches” on Patmos, and noted that some at the church of Sardis were dead. Others, were alive and told that “he who overcomes shall be clothed in white garments and I [Jesus] will not blog out his name from the Book of Life.”

Rev 3:5

“He who overcomes shall be clothed in white garments, and I will not blot out his name from the Book of Life; but I will confess his name before My Father and before His angels.

Jesus also said (through John’s writings) that, “I [He] will confess his name before My Father and before His angels.”

So you see, there is no redemption without Christ!

Rev 3:6

“He who has an ear, let him hear what the Spirit says to the churches.” ’

Jhn 3:3

Jesus answered and said to him, “Most assuredly, I say to you, unless one is born again, he cannot see the kingdom of God.”

Jhn 3:7

“Do not marvel that I said to you, ‘You must be born again.’

There are many great comments at the You tube site – real people whose grief/depression/struggles/deadness inside turned hearts previously torn and worn into mended souls!

Here are a few:

Tabitha Brooke 3 months ago

I love Tenth Avenue North and I can basically say this song saved my life. In 2013, I was depressed to the point I felt life didn’t have a purpose anymore. I was driving around at night, completely and utterly hopeless, flipping through the radio when this song played and I broke down and cried and it was like a hug from God and I listened to the words of this song and how closely they matched how I felt and let me tell you…redemption won, the struggle ended and God mended my heart. The song rose from the ashes of my broken heart and all that was dead inside was reborn and I am no longer worn. Thank you, Lord.

Aaron Bostelman

20 minutes ago

I used to think that Suicide was the answer, and it consumed my life. Parents that called me worthless all my life, drugs, smoking, abuse… All of it for satisfaction, and yet not one bit of it made me completely satisfied as I still had a missing gap in my heart. I too, was driving around in my car after I got the news of my Girlfriend that had killed herself. During an intersection I was hit by a drunk driver. I stepped out of my car covered in blood as well as a broken arm, and I just broke down right there on the spot. I cried so hard wishing I would die. Although I am still an Atheist, I am in fact reading the bible, and the more I read it, the more the gap in my heart is sealed. Just to let you know, you aren’t alone, and you certainly aren’t the person out there that has similar conflicts, Tabitha. Thanks for sharing!

Cynthia Scott 2 months ago

My brothers and sisters in Christ:

NEVER GIVE UP HOPE. JESUS WILL NEVER LEAVE YOU NOR FORSAKE YOU.

This song expresses very real, raw emotions as we go through storms in life. Please listen, especially if you have been fighting through a storm for some time and are worn, let this song renew your strength and remind you Who will get you through the storms of life, especially now as we face more persecution then ever. JESUS CAN MEND A HEART THAT’S FRAIL AND TORN.

The following is a note that I wrote on Face Book today. Thought I’d share it with bloggers here.

~Christine

While on the way back from vacation, I received another one of those FB emails that makes one groan. Another “we’re updating our terms and policies and introducing Privacy Basics” spew that is so long it will take me until past Christmas to read all the links “explaining” these “basics” and other changes. *sigh*

As some here may know, I left my g00gle Talk Wisdom blog because I could not agree with their new rules – especially the one that would have forced me to “sign into all of g00gle.” Therefore, I had to abandon that blog site (without telling my followers I was leaving because in order to do that I would have had to “sign into all of g00gle) and start a new WordPress blog – right around this time last year. My new WordPress blog now has built up to 43 followers, so that’s good.

There are many factors that bother me about social media – especially FB. I won’t bore you with the details, but when some people post lies and hate about Christians (and Christian owners of businesses) who are pro-life, pro-traditional marriage, and Bible-based believers in Jesus, it is so disheartening…to say the least. For me, it is especially difficult when one has become a “friend” with someone on here without previously knowing one’s religious, political, or social views; and then finding out that they are rabidly against my views and spew hateful political posts against cherished beliefs. The term “tolerance” has been re-defined as tolerating absolutely everything (and, unfortunately, anything) that is anti-Christian.

It’s OK to “tolerate” other religions – even violent ones like Islamic terrorism – but not Christian belief and faith.

It’s OK to “tolerate” any social issue that goes against the Ten Commandments of God, but label as “hatred” the moral standards that have been set by God in both the Old and New Testaments of the Bible.

Well, I could go on and on, but anyone who reads this will probably already get my point.

I need to think about and read about the new “FB terms, policies, and privacy basics” before making my decision to either stay on or leave FB (again).

I basically came back on here [to FB] to view my daughter’s wedding photos and video clip. I have been on and off since then for various reasons. Now, I need to make the decision, once again, before the FB changes take affect in January, 2015.

Lastly, I would like to encourage all readers of this note to read and study the Bible on your own. It is the BEST way to learn the truth about God, why Jesus Christ came to the earth to be our Lord and Savior, and also one great way to be able to recognize and avoid getting involved in a church that practices error, heresy, and apostasy. I suggest reading the book of John first, where you will discover (or re-discover and reinforce what you may have previously learned about) the identity of Jesus Christ.

Our bodies will one day die, but our soul and spirit lives on. The Bible teaches that there are only two places where our soul and spirit will end up, and it all depends on repenting of one’s sins and accepting Jesus Christ as the Lord and Savior of your life. When Jesus walked the earth during his ministry here, he talked about avoiding hell even more than he talked about the wonder and awesomeness of heaven. Hell was originally created for the devil (the father of lies) and his demons – and ever since Adam and Eve in the Garden of Eden, they have been busy throughout the past, the present, and in the future, tempting people away from God. Heaven is where God resides and Jesus went to prepare a place for all of redeemed mankind. The Good News is that it’s available to all who place their trust and belief in Christ!

I’d like to share the words of Dr. David Jeremiah from his new book “Agents of the Apocalypse” regarding the last invitation in the Bible:

Let him who thirsts come. Whoever desires, let him take the water of life freely. Revelation 22:17

Why do people come to Christ? They are thirsty! All human beings are born with an empty place in their lives that can only be filled with what John calls “the water of life” (Revelation 22:17). Most people try to quence that thirst with pleasure, accomplishment, possessions, human relationships, or power, but in time, they see that these things are not satisfying. As Solomon said after trying wealth, sex, power, and glory, it is all meaningless vanity.

When people realize that nothing on earth will satisfy their longing, they begin to identify their thirst. That is when they are poised to come to Christ. They realize that they are thirsty and He is not. He has–no, He is–the living water every human craves. It is He who fills the empty place that all of us since Adam have been born with. As Blaise Pascal put it, “There is a God-shaped vacuum in the heart of every man which cannot be filled by any created thing, but only by God, the Creator, made known through Jesus.”

The restrictions on who might come to Christ are nonexistent! The invitation is open to all. John says, “Whoever desires.” Who can come to Christ? Anyone who wants his or her thirst quenched forever.

We all must answer Jesus’ question, “Who do you say that I am?” How one answers that question will determine where one spends eternity.

In a previous blog post thread, GMPilot wrote a comment where he challenged God’s goodness and righteous judgment upon cities and people in the Old Testament. His contention, “when god deals with his people, one hand holds the grace and the other hand holds the mace.” He claimed that such cities were never given a chance to “choose life” because God had them exterminated. GMPilot challenged me by writing, “You’re not going to sit there and deny that, are you?”

First, I will state that GMPilot’s purpose here at Talk Wisdom has always been to challenge the beliefs of Christians. He even admits (in the comment exchange below) that he is not “seeking to be reached” with the Gospel of Jesus Christ. Therefore, his challenges against God, Jesus Christ, and God’s Word, the Bible are only meant to purposely counter, disparage, and even ridicule (at times) Christian belief. In doing this, he often shares his contempt for our God of the Bible. I write this so that readers here will understand where such challenges are coming from and for what purpose GMPilot writes comments here at this blog.

In apologetics, it is always important to realize that the challenges presented by non-believers and the answers given by a Christian may end up never being satisfying to the inquirer. Why? Because when a non-believer starts out admitting that he/she is here for the purpose of challenging, and not for the purpose of being reached through the Gospel of Jesus Christ, then he/she has already purposed within his/her own mind that he/she will not accept the answers regarding faith (and what is needed in order to be saved from our sins and reconciled back unto God) that are given by the Christian believer.

Scripture tells us exactly why such a mindset is so in non-believers (who aren’t seeking God) in the “those who are perishing” verses. However, as Christians who are here to spread the Gospel, we are instructed to give an answer to those who are perishing. Whether or not such answers are accepted are ultimately between God and the individual.

(Christine wrote:) Steve can certainly speak for himself here if he chooses to and I can’t really speak for him, but from what I have seen of his former comments to you, he has figured out that you aren’t here for the purpose of being reached.
(GMPilot wrote:) If you can remember that far back, please recall that I originally came to your forum because I believed that your premises were wrong, and I wanted you to know why I thought so. It wasn’t a question of ‘being reached’.
All I’m saying is that steve said he didn’t care one way or the other if I heeded his words. If he can’t be sincere about his religion, there’s no reason why I should be enthused about it.

(Christine wrote:) As I have mentioned many times before, it is always good and important to consider the verses before and after the quoted verse for greater context. Plus, if you read the verses along with theentire commentary>, you will gain a much better understanding that Isaiah was writing about An Invitation to Receive the Glory of the LORD’s Restoration.
(GMPilot wrote:) I read and understood the passage in its context, and Guzik was not needed to tell me that. But the basic message is unchanged: when god deals with his people, one hand holds the grace and the other hand holds the mace. The cities and people I listed above were never given a chance to “choose life”; god had them exterminated. You’re not going to sit there and deny that, are you?

If you can remember that far back, please recall that I originally came to your forum because I believed that your premises were wrong, and I wanted you to know why I thought so. It wasn’t a question of ‘being reached’.

C: Therein lies the problem. Your purpose for being here is completely the opposite of my purpose(s) for writing this blog.

YOU are the one who admitted to not WANTING to be reached. You are only here to challenge my beliefs and attempt to impose your own lack of belief upon me. Sorry – no can do! Christ and his promises to believers wins out with me now and throughout eternity.

GM wrote:

I read and understood the passage in its context, and Guzik was not needed to tell me that. But the basic message is unchanged: when god deals with his people, one hand holds the grace and the other hand holds the mace. The cities and people I listed above were never given a chance to “choose life”; god had them exterminated. You’re not going to sit there and deny that, are you?

C: How do you know that those peoples were never given a chance to choose life? We would need to dig deep into historical documents in order to find the truth of the matter. However, we DO have other examples of peoples who refused to repent. Take the example of Sodom and Gomorrah. Abraham asked to spare the city if 50 persons could be found who were righteous. Then the request dwindled down to 40, then 30, then 20, then 10. As we know, the only righteous people found were in Lot’s family so they were warned to flee by the angels before the city and all of its wicked and sinful inhabitants were destroyed. Then, Lot’s wife looked back (ignoring the warning not to) and turned into a pillar of salt! Her longing for, and desire not to leave that city of sin showed what was truly in her heart – and she was far from God’s righteousness, holiness, mercy and forgiveness; precisely because she ignored the angels of God and their warnings and thus she refused to repent.

We all have a conscience. It is built within us to know right from wrong. When Adam and Eve sinned, they knew that they had chosen evil and death rather than the good and life that they enjoyed with God. Therefore, the plan of salvation was devised in order to save people from their sins and be reconciled back unto God through the coming Messiah – Jesus Christ. All of the Old Testament saints who believed in God the Father and looked forward to the coming of the Messiah were saved. Once Christ appeared, preached, suffered, and died on the cross; then was resurrected unto life and ascended into heaven to be at the right hand of the Father, people had no excuse for not believing in Him.

I will be doing a post soon (may take a while) where the connections between the Old Testament prophets who prophesied (about the coming Messiah Jesus Christ) and how it relates to the end times, the Jews, and the return of Christ – who is the King and the Jewish Messiah – who will usher in the Millennial Kingdom that will fulfill what God promised the Israelites of the Old Testament regarding their Messiah. What the Jews expected of their Messiah didn’t occur at Christ’s first coming here on this earth, but such prophecies WILL be fulfilled at His second coming. This is what connects Judaism to Christianity, even though the Jewish people of today {except Messianic Jews who accept Yeshua) reject the Lordship of Christ now, it will not forever be so in the end times, during the earthly Millennial kingdom, and ultimately in the eternal state.

Update 11/8/14 –

GM wrote:

So, god told the Israelites “I shall send my son to earth twice. The first time only the Gentiles will believe him, but the second time you will, and then my kingdom will be established.” That’s quite a statement—is there anything in the Jewish scriptures that supports it?

I suggested to him to come to this post and read it. It helps answer GM’s latest question.

My reading finally caught up with the television presentations, and I am currently in chapter nine which is entitled, “The King.”

In regards to the Millennium, it may be considered far to simplistic to say that the Old Testament saints (Jewish believers in anticipation of the coming Messiah), we as believers in Jesus Christ, as well as the Jewish evangelists and converts to Jesus during the Tribulation “get a do-over” after our lives here in this fallen world. But basically, that is what the Millennial Kingdom will be! [Also see: Jesus is a Jew]

Dr. Jeremiah masterfully examines the writings of the prophets concerning the millennial kingdom, and twelve features command our attention. I will not be able to cover all twelve in this post, but I will share the first two.

I highly recommend that readers here GET THIS BOOK! It is one of the THE BEST books on Revelation that I have ever read; and I have read at least half a dozen.

Chapter 9 has impacted me tremendously! I have always wanted to have a resource that connects the many prophecies written in the Old Testament to the end times book of Revelation in the New Testament.

The first feature regarding the millennial kingdom that commands our attention include:

“The Anticipation of the Kingdom.”

I have set My king on My holy hill of Zion. I will declare the decree: The LORD has said to Me, “You are My Son, today I have begotten You. Ask of Me, and I will give You the nations for Your inheritance, and the ends of the earth for Your possession. You shall break them with a rod of iron; You shall dash them to pieces like a potter’s vessel.” Psalm 2:6-9

Dr. Jeremiah writes:

The Old Testament prophetic books tell us a great deal about the millennial kingdom. In the book of Isaiah, entire chapters are devoted to the subject. Before Isaiah, David wrote these prophetic lines in Psalm 2, which describe God the Father gifting the Kingdom to His Son, Jesus Christ.

Some of the most vivid prophecies of the Kingdom age are found in the writings of Daniel. Chapter 2 records that he saw the whole course of the world’s future revealed in the dream of pagan king Nebuchadnezzar. This dream featured the gigantic statue of a man formed with layers of descending quality, from a golden head to feet of clay. Each layer represented a succeeding world empire. The vision culminated when “a tone [that] was cut out without hands” shattered the image (Daniel 2;34) and grew until it filled the earth.

Here is Daniel’s explanation of this vision: “In the days of these kings the God of heaven will set up a kingdom which shall never be destroyed; and the kingdom shall not be left to other people; it shall break in pieces and consume all these kingdoms, and it shall stand forever” (Daniel 2:44).

In a later vision, Daniel saw the King coming to take His Kingdom: “I was watching in the night visions, and behold, One like the Son of Man, coming with the clouds of heaven! He came to the Ancient of Days, and they brought Him near before Him. Then to Him was given dominion and glory and a kingdom, that all peoples, nations, and languages should serve Him. His dominion is an everlasting dominion, which shall not pass away, and His kingdom the one which shall not be destroyed” (Daniel 7:13-14).

One of the most famous prophecies regarding the coming of the King is found in the book of Isaiah: “Unto us a Child is born, unto us a Son is given; and the government will be upon His shoulder. And His name will be called Wonderful, Counselor, Mighty God, Everlasting Father, Prince of Peace. Of the increase of His government and peace there will be no end, upon the throne of David and over His kingdom, to order it and establish it with judgment and justice from that time forward, even forever” (9:6-7).

In the book of Revelation, the seventh trumpet sounds, and the message that accompanies it makes a bold statement about Christ’s Kingdom: “The kingdoms of this world have become the kingdoms of our Lord and of His Christ, and He shall reign forever and ever!” (11:15).

“The Coronation of the King”

Out of His mouth goes a sharp sword, that with it He should strike the nations. And He Himself will rule them with a rod of iron…And He has on His robe and on His thigh a name written: KING OF KINGS AND LORD OF LORDS. Revelation 19:15-16

In this passage, John tells us how the King will arrive and begin His reign. He will come as a conqueror, taking back His world. As the Old Testament prophecies indicate, there is a close connection between our Lord’s victory at the Battle of Armageddon and His reign as King over all the earth: “The LORD will go forth and fight against those nations, as He fights in the day of battle….And the LORD shall be King over all the earth. In that day it shall be–“The LORD is one,’ and His name one” (Zechariah 14:3,9). Christ must rid the earth of its evil usurper before He can establish His reign.

In the Millennium, Satan will no longer be the prince of the world. His era will end, and Christ will initiate His eternal reign of righteousness, joy, prosperity, and peace. His glory will shine forth and bathe the universe with righteousness.

This is the same message Gabriel announced to Mary. He told her that one day her son Jesus would serve as the supreme Ruler of the world: “He will be great, and will be called the Son of the Highest; and the Lord God will give Him the throne of His father David. And He will reign over the house of Jacob forever, and of His kingdom there will be no end” (Luke 1:32-33).

The age to come, as [Jesus] like to call it, will be ushered in by the exercise of His immediate power and authority. He has all power now; He will take this power and use it to the full when He returns. The age-long silence of God, the taunt of unbelief, will be broken by the transition and resurrection of the church, by the unloosing of judgment long withheld; by the visible and personal presence of the Mediatorial King, and by the complete establishment of His Kingdom on earth for a period specified by our Lord as “1,000 years.”…During this period, every aspect of the Kingdom as set forth in Old Testament prophecy will be realized upon earth, truly the golden age of the world. Children will be born, life will go on, and men will work and play, but under ideal conditions.5

There is SO MUCH MORE to share! In future posts my goal is to share the other ten features that command our attention:

1. The Incarceration of Satan

2. The Administration of David

3. The Participation of the Saints

4. The Elimination of War

5. The Realization of Prosperity

6. The Integration of Holiness

7. The Prolongation of Life

8. The Celebration of Joy

9. The Centralization of Worship

10. The Continuation of the Kingdom

The song “Joy to the World” is generally played and sung at Christmastime. Well, the first stanza can be applied to Christ being born in Bethlehem, but did you know that the remaining stanzas actually describe the Second Coming of Christ and how life will be in the Millennium?

Pay close attention to the lyrics!

Joy to the World

Joy to the World , the Lord is come!Let earth receive her King;
Let every heart prepare Him room,
And Heaven and nature sing,
And Heaven and nature sing,
And Heaven, and Heaven, and nature sing.

Joy to the World, the Savior reigns! Let men their songs employ; While fields and floods, rocks, hills and plains Repeat the sounding joy, Repeat the sounding joy, Repeat, repeat, the sounding joy.

No more let sins and sorrows grow, Nor thorns infest the ground; He comes to make His blessings flow Far as the curse is found, Far as the curse is found, Far as, far as, the curse is found.

He rules the world with truth and grace, And makes the nations prove The glories of His righteousness, And wonders of His love, And wonders of His love, And wonders, wonders, of His love.

So far, I have seen three episodes over the past 3 Sundays. They were excellent! This series explains why the chaos is happening and how the Bible predicted such things the closer we get to the end times. The first was very informative, the second one was very sobering, and the third was quite enlightening.

I have pre-ordered the book, but it won’t be released until sometime later in October.

Whenever I recommend a preacher, pastor and/or book, I like to be sure that they are biblically based in their teachings. When I read that there would be fictional accounts at the beginning of each chapter, I was a bit concerned that in doing so, the author might stray from what is written in Scripture in order to increase the entertainment value. This was seen (in a big way) with the recent “Noah” film. In fact, that movie strayed so far from Scripture that it should have been named, “The Rock Creatures”…or something else! Noah’s character was truly unrecognizable when you compared Russell Crowe’s role in the movie to the biblical account of Noah and his family. But I digress.

I wrote a letter to Dr. Jeremiah several weeks ago because I had some concerns about the fictional accounts that I was able to read at the website before the upcoming release of the book. Below, is my letter, and then the response I received. I was glad to get a response, but a bit disappointed that some of my questions were not directly addressed. Also, the response was not signed by whomever wrote it.

Anyway, here is my letter, and then the response letter. Talk Wisdom reports – you decide.

Sent: Thursday, August 21, 2014 8:53 AM

To: info Subject: Questions

Dear Dr. Jeremiah,

I have been a longtime believer in Jesus Christ and have been watching your Turning Point broadcasts for several years. I have always been blessed, and grateful, that your sermons and books have been biblically based. I understand that the new book coming out soon – “Agents of the Apocalypse” will contain fictional accounts that fill in the gaps within the book of Revelation. However, the September, 2014 devotional states that “nothing that is in the Bible has been altered.” Well, I found something in Chapter Two – “The Martyrs” [fictional] excerpt online that is questionable because it does not correct the belief that “the Jewish leaders murdered Jesus.”

The first pages of church history tell of Stephen, who was stoned to death for insisting that the Jewish religious leaders had murdered Jesus (Acts 7).

Perhaps I am wrong, but I did not read this in Acts 7. The fact is, also, that Jesus laid His own life down of His own accord. Recall the verses where Jesus could have called down legions of angels to rescue Him from the cross. If He did that, then the penalty for sin would not have been paid and Jesus would have re-entered heaven alone. The second fact is that we all are guilty of sin. Therefore, every human being on earth is responsible for the death of Christ on the cross.

I do not mean to lecture you, Dr. Jeremiah. I know that your knowledge of the Bible is light-years above mine. But when I read that sentence from the [fictional] excerpt in chapter two, an alarm bell went off in my mind. You see, decades ago, I was raised Catholic and in Catholic tradition, the teaching that “the Jews killed Jesus” was prevalent. They may have since backed off from such teachings since I left that church and joined a non-denominational Bible-based Christian church. It is a long story, but I became a born-again believer in Christ back in 1978, ended up as a back slider; but rededicated my life to Christ after joining a Bible study on the book of John in 1993. It was during this study that I noticed that a lot of the Catholic church dogma did not line up with Scripture.

Another question that I have is about Zionism. In the [fictional] excerpt of Chapter 3 – “The 144,000” there is a sentence that reads:

Most Jews in Israel were now Zionists, more secular than religious.

Perhaps I am wrong about this disagreement, too, but I have always thought that Zionism was a good thing for Israel. The entire Palestinian/Israeli ongoing war is because the Palestinians (and their Muslim terrorist backers, as well as the U.S. leftist backers who don’t believe in Bible truth) think that God did not give the land to the Jews and it should be carved up and divided.

I know that you don’t have time to read it all, but I have written about the two views of Zionism at my former blog:

Christian Zionism can be defined as Christian support for the Zionist cause — the return of the Jewish people to its biblical homeland in Israel. It is a belief among some Christians that the return of Jews to Israel is in line with a biblical prophecy, and is necessary for Jesus to return to Earth as its king. These Christians are partly motivated by the writings of the Bible and the words of the prophets. However, they are also driven to support Israel because they wish to “repay the debt of gratitude to the Jewish people for providing Christ and the other fundamentals of their faith,” and to support a political ally, according to David Brog, author Standing With Israel: Why Christians Support the Jewish State.

This leads me to ask, which type of Zionism is referred to in your new book? Perhaps these answers will be very evident when I read the entire book.

Thank you for all that you do in your excellent ministry, Dr. Jeremiah. I do not wish to question your motives in this upcoming book. However, with so many pastors and preachers moving towards heresy (e.g. Rick Warren getting involved with Chrislam – a mixture of Christianity and Islam) we must all be diligent enough to be careful not to contradict the truth of the Bible in these very difficult times.

Thank you for reading.

Sincerely,

Christine W.

The response:

Date: September 16, 2014 at 11:49:35 AM PDT

Subject:Response from Turning Point

Dear Christine,

Thank you for your encouraging email and for your confidence in asking such an important question, “Who killed Jesus?”

Christine, there are four major points that have to be made in answering the question.

The Romans killed Jesus. Pilate, the Roman governor, could have freed Jesus, but to preserve his standing with the mob, he willing[ly] delivered Jesus to be crucified (John 18:29 – 19:30; Mark 15:15).

The Jew killed Jesus. The Jew cried, “His blood be on us and on our children” (Matthew 27:25). Peter, preaching to the Jews later on, pointed his finger at them and said, “you have taken by lawless hands, have crucified, and put to death” (Acts 2:23).

God killed Jesus. “Yet we esteemed Him stricken, smitten by God, and afflicted . . . Yet it pleased the Lord to bruise Him; He has put Him to grief” (Isaiah 53:4, 10). Acts 2:23 confirms that Jesus was “delivered (unto death) by the determined purpose and foreknowledge of God.” God did it.

I killed Jesus. My sins nailed Him to the cross. He died for me.

Who crucified Jesus? All of us. The sins of every individual, from Adam to this very day, nailed Him there. The Crucifixion is not just a historical event that we recall at Easter. It is a reminder that our sin, our falling short of God’s glory, our active or passive rebellion, is the very commodity that put Jesus on the cross. “For God so loved the world that He gave His only begotten Son, that whoever believes in Him should not perish but have everlasting life” (John 3:16).

Concerning Zionists: “Zionism” is a movement for the re-establishment and (now) the development of a Jewish nation in Israel.

Secular Jews feel that heritage and tradition is all that matters. Like many other people who practice religion or tradition, they believe that they are right with God simply because of ritual or practice. This is most of Israel today, but not in the future.

Christine, always remember that biblical prophecy is written to transform us. It is written so we might live with holiness and purity while awaiting Christ’s return. It is written to inspire us to renewed fervor: It is written so that we might pursue God’s will for our lives with rekindled fire and fresh zeal.

Caution! You are about to enter a no spin post on religious beliefs that might be deemed offensive to some. However, that is NOT my intention with this post! As always, my intent is to share God’s Word, the Bible, Jesus Christ – His Son, and various ways in which the gospel message is being shared these days in order to bring people towards an understanding of the message of salvation.

Obviously, when discussing differences between religious beliefs, political correctness cannot stand up against the required scrutiny shared in such discussions. Political correctness cannot rule the day here at Talk Wisdom! As a reminder, here is Talk Wisdom’s goal:

Talk Wisdom’s goal is to defend the tenets and values of Biblical Christian faith. We defend our Constitutional Republic and Charters of Freedom, especially when speaking out against destructive social and political issues. As followers of our Savior and Lord, we should boldly stand up for Jesus Christ in our present circumstances. He is our Savior, Lord, and King, and His love needs to be shed abroad in our hearts and in our world – now.

Therefore, it is my hope that readers who may disagree with what I write at least respect my Constitutional right of free speech, freedom of association, and religious freedom to share what I am about to discuss.

Thanks!

~ Christine

I have been reading Dr. David Jeremiah’s Study Bible (NKJV), which was published in late 2013. I am so pleased with the 40 years of knowledge and study notes that Dr. Jeremiah has in this wonderful study Bible!

I recently read about some alarming statistics published in the BIOLA University magazine. Not sure if it can be trusted, though, because the leader of the study has also written a progressive-type book criticizing Christians on social issues. Anyway, according to a research firm by BIOLA alumnus David Kinnaman (’96) and commissioned by the American Bible Society, close to 40% of Millennials NEVER read the Bible. Among Boomers (like me), the “never read the Bible” readership is around 26% – which concurs with the percentage of U.S. adults, overall, who never read the Bible. Elders can be proud of the fact that close to 25% read the Bible every day, and about 18% read it every week. Boomers (my age group) is listed at 18% read the Bible every day and 15% every week. The very sad news is that only a paltry 8% of Millennials read the Bible every day and 9% read it every week.

It’s a sad reality that there is such apathy for the Word of God. 😦

Unfortunately, such apathy leads to skepticism towards Scripture. But how would such individuals know that they should be skeptical about what is written in the Bible when they haven’t even read it? These people are missing out on the most important information that they could read, learn, and study about in the entire world! There is a big reason why the Bible is the world’s best selling book!

Much of what I do, say, read, and write about these days is influenced by Scripture. Sometimes, I need to clarify certain beliefs that others may disagree with, and that can be a tough issue to deal with. People can dismiss what Scripture says about any moral, social, political, spiritual and intellectual issue simply because they choose not to believe what the Bible says about such topics.

When I recently heard about a blog post written by a teenager years ago, this person included a line that read, “I don’t know why I’m here, but….” Sadly, this person is of another religion and it would not have been appropriate for me to say, “I know why…may I share it with you?”

A few times, I have been asked, “why do you believe what you believe?” It can be difficult to sum up my reasons in just a few words. Often, the conversation goes off into various directions where it can be difficult to continue answering such a question accurately. But, at least, it can serve as a starting point towards an ongoing conversation in the future.

I like to seek out Pastors, preachers, writers and even Rabbis who are more knowledgeable about Scripture than I am when it comes to studying the Word of God.

Several months ago, in fact, I started DVR-ing a television show on the DayStar network called Discovering the Jewish Jesus. You can read about Rabbi K.A. Schneider, who is a Messianic, Jewish believer in Jesus and end-times messenger of the LORD, who dedicates to life to delivering the Word of the LORD with true passion of the Holy Spirit.

Excerpt from that link:

Through understanding the Old Testament and its prophetic nature, with Yeshua as its fulfillment, your faith is strengthened, increased relationship and intimacy with the LORD is discovered, and an end-times vision of life is crystallized. This is an end-times ministry, strengthening the church and calling her to be a readied bride for the return of the Bridegroom, Yeshua Ha-Mashiach (Jesus The Messiah).

Our Mission:
to prepare the Church for Jesus’ return by fostering in her a deeper love for Yeshua
and empowering her to be a greater witness to both Jews and Gentiles.

I have learned SO MUCH from his television show on DayStar! The three-part series on how Jews celebrate Passover, and how Jesus actually fulfilled the Passover was amazing!

Interestingly enough, when I put the words, “The Jewish Jesus – Rabbi Schneider” into the StartPage search engine, the results included the following warning:

Information Your search included the special search operator NOT. Click here to show results without using this special operator.

And, at the very top, under the heading of “Ads related to The Jewish Jesus – Rabbi Schneider” was a link (in the middle of 3 ad links) to Jews for Judaism. The site is dedicating to countering Christian missionaries (and, obviously, Messianic Rabbis like K.A. Schneider) in order to claim that Jesus could not have been the awaited Messiah of the Jewish people.

After reading their counter messages on just the front page, I could probably refute a lot of what is written there because of my own 20 years of Bible study, as well as what I have learned from Pastor David Jeremiah, Rabbi Schneider, and many more Pastors, scholars, and Christian apologists.

Here’s one example:

They [Jews for Judaism] wrote at the site:

● The Messiah must be from the Tribe of Judah and a Descendant of King David AND King Solomon

The Messiah must be a member of the tribe of Judah (Genesis 49:10) and a direct descendant of King David & King Solomon (2 Samuel 7:12-14; 1 Chronicles 22:9-10). Genealogy in the Bible is only passed down from father to son (Numbers 1:1-18).

There is no evidence that Jesus really had this pedigree, and the Christian Bible actually claims that he did not have a “birth-father” from the tribe of Judah descending from King David and King Solomon (Matt. 1:18-20).

From what I have learned, Jesus’ mother, (being born of the tribe of Judah and a descendant of David) Mary fulfilled this requirement. The fact that Jesus was conceived of the Holy Spirit of God without spot or blemish (of sin), is crucial to His mission to be the unblemished Lamb of God who takes away the sins of the world and to take those sins upon Himself and die for the sins of the world. That is what the sacrificial lambs in the Old Testament were about. They served as a temporary atonement for the sins of the people. However, Jesus’ atonement was once for all and final.

Now, I haven’t researched that site past the first page, but I wonder if knowing that Jesus is BOTH the Offspring of David and the Root of David via the book of Revelation would help them realize that Jesus is exactly who He says He is?

Rev 22:16

“I, Jesus, have sent My angel to testify to you these things in the churches. I am the Root and the Offspring of David, the Bright and Morning Star.”

Plus, in the end times, Jesus is the only one who is worthy to open the seven seals of the scroll of judgments:

Rev 5:5

But one of the elders said to me, “Do not weep. Behold, the Lion of the tribe of Judah, the Root of David, has prevailed to open the scroll and to loose [fn] its seven seals.”

The Old Testament talks about the coming Messiah in Isaiah:

Isa 53:2

For He shall grow up before Him as a tender plant,
And as a root out of dry ground.
He has no form or comeliness;
And when we see Him,
There is no beauty that we should desire Him.

The Suffering Servant or “the Man of sorrows” prophecies of Jesus speak of the necessity for the Servant to suffer for the sins of the people. Isaiah prophetically spoke of the shameful trial of Jesus before Pilate, of His silence before His accusers, of His shameful treatment by the rulers, and of his slaughter as a lamb on the cross for all of us (Matt. 27). The author’s primary concern is not the suffering, however, but Jesus’ amazing triumph over suffering.

The Suffering Servant was despised and rejected , so He can relate to people on a very personal level when they are dealing with pain and grief.

Isaiah uses physical terms – “by His stripes we are healed” – to describe what Jesus did when he took human sin on Himself and died in our place (2 Cor. 5:21). Scholars call this the “substitutionary atonement” of Christ. Verse 5 also describes what happens spiritually when sinner experience salvation. Sins are forgiven. Atonement is applied. The whole person is spiritually healed. But there is a physical dimension to Christ’s atonement as well. Physical healing will come in the future, when we receive our resurrection bodies (1 Cor. 15).

When Isaiah says the Servant will “justify man” (lit. “make many righteous”), this means, at the very least, declaring them innocent legally (what theologians call justification), as a result of Him transferring their sins to Himself and tasking on their punishment. But the statement may also include the impartation of actual righteousness (what theologians call sanctification). Through His sacrifice, the Servant lays the foundation for the New Covenant, through which the Lord transforms the inner character of His people through the gift of His Spirit (Jer. 31:31-34; Ezek. 35:24-27). 1

Is that awesome or what???

There are many more examples that I could share of where the Old Testament prophets shared prophecy that was fulfilled by Jesus Christ! There are over 300 prophecies that are meant to be fulfilled by the Messiah. And, in one case the writer over at Jews for Judiasm had it right! Jesus has NOT fulfilled all of the prophecies yet. The reason being is that all the rest are to be fulfilled at His Second Coming!

One last thing. In Pastor David Jeremiah’s Sunday sermon this week called

God’s Ultimate New World Order [click on link to view] he made a very important point regarding Jesus’ prayer. When we read the Lord’s Prayer, Jesus said:

Our Father in heaven. Hallowed be Your name. Your Kingdom come, Your will be done, on earth as it is in heaven…

Question: Has God’s will ever been completely done on earth, as it is in heaven? Answer: No. That is exactly why the Millennium, where Jesus serves as ruler over all of the nations at His second coming will happen. It will fulfill God’s promises to both Jewish and Gentile believers – and if you watch that segment you will learn much more!

Let’s finish The Lords Prayer from Scripture:

Mat 6:9

“In this manner, therefore, pray:

Our Father in heaven, Hallowed be Your name.

Mat 6:10

Your kingdom come. Your will be done On earth as it is in heaven.

Mat 6:11

Give us this day our daily bread.

Mat 6:12

And forgive us our debts, As we forgive our debtors.

Mat 6:13

And do not lead us into temptation, But deliver us from the evil one. For Yours is the kingdom and the power and the glory forever. Amen. [fn]

The Bible

Click on image for Blue Letter Bible

Proverbs 2:2-5

"Make your ear attentive to wisdom, incline your heart to understanding; for if you cry for discernment, lift your voice for understanding; if you seek her as silver, and search for her as for hidden treasures; then you will discern the fear of the LORD, and discover the knowledge of God"

About Christinewjc and this Talk Wisdom blog.

Married for 31 years to my wonderful husband! Two grown adult children and a son-in-law in whom we treasure and enjoy life.

Our family is very close and love to spend time with each other. We share a deep Christian faith, love for the Lord Jesus Christ and love for each other.

I earned a BA in education from Kean University in 1978. I have been studying the Bible for over 22 years and in 2003, upon successful completion of the course of study offered in the MA Lecture Series, earned a Christian Apologetics Certificate from Biola University.

This blog is named "Talk Wisdom" because one of the main purposes of writing here is to share the wisdom of God - the only absolute and true wisdom - that is contained within the Scriptures of the Bible. As a born-again Christian, it is my desire to heed and share Paul's encouragement and warnings in 2 Timothy 3:1-17

2 Timothy 3:16 - All Scripture is given by inspiration of God, and is profitable for doctrine, for reproof, for correction, for instruction in righteousness,
2 Timothy 3:17 - that the man of God may be complete, thoroughly equipped for every good work.

Talk Wisdom's goal is to defend the tenets and values of Biblical Christian faith. We defend our Constitutional Republic and Charters of Freedom, especially when speaking out against destructive social and political issues. As followers of our Savior and Lord, we should boldly stand up for Jesus Christ in our present circumstances. He is our Savior, Lord, and King, and His love needs to be shed abroad in our hearts and in our world – now.

A quote to remember!

“We are to be obedient to God and that means we are to fight against sin. Talking about not judging and loving each other does not absolve us from our duty to correct and — if necessary — censure those who refuse to obey God’s laws. If this were the case, then God would have had no reason to even give us a law: He would have just said do not judge, just love and left it at that — but He did not do this. Instead, He told us to obey, and then gave us at least ten commands. If we love each other — Biblical love — then we will do everything we can to help each other keep those commands, not make it easier to break them. After all, how can we claim to love someone if we are in the process of making their path to hell easier to travel?”
~ Black3Actual from Oil For Your Lamp blog

Talk Wisdom's goal is to defend the tenets and values of Biblical Christian faith. We defend our Constitutional Republic and Charters of Freedom, especially when speaking out against destructive social and political issues. As followers of our Savior and Lord, we should boldly stand up for Jesus Christ in our present circumstances. He is our Savior, Lord, and King, and His love needs to be shed abroad in our hearts and in our world - now.

Faith in Jesus Christ is our response to God's elective purpose in our life. These two truths--God's initiative and man's response--co-exist throughout the Bible. The gospel is "the message of truth" because truth is its predominant characteristic. Salvation was conceived by the God of truth (Ps. 31:5); purchased by the Son, who is the truth (John 14:6); and is applied by the Spirit of truth (John 16:13). To know it is to know the truth that sets men free (John 8:32). Believers are people of the truth (John 18:37), who worship God in spirit and in truth (John 4:24), and who obey the Word of truth (John 17:17). People have rejected, neglected, redefined, and opposed God’s truth for centuries. Some cynically deny that truth even exists or that it can be known by men (John 18:38). Others foolishly think that denying truth will somehow make it go away. Truth determines the validity of one's belief. Believing a lie doesn't make it true. Conversely, failing to believe the truth doesn't make it a lie. The gospel is true because Jesus is true, not simply because Christians believe in Him. His resurrection proved the truth of His claims and constitutes the objective basis of our faith (Rom. 1:4; 1 Pet. 1:3). Truth is our protection and strength (Eph. 6:14). Throughout history, people have tried everything imaginable to gain favor with God. Most turn to religion, but religion apart from Christ is merely a satanic counterfeit of the truth. At the heart of every false religion is the notion that man can come to God by any means he chooses--by meditating, doing good deeds, and so on. But Scripture says, "There is no other name under heaven that has been given among men, by which we must be saved" (Acts 4:12). That name is Jesus Christ, and we come to Him by confessing and repenting of our sin, trusting in His atoning death on the cross, and affirming His bodily resurrection from the grave (cf. Rom. 10:9-10). There is no other way to God. False religious leaders and teachers talk much about God’s love, but not His wrath and holiness; much about how deprived of good things people are, but not about their depravity; much about God’s universal fatherhood toward everyone, but not much about his unique fatherhood toward all who believe in His Son; much about what God wants to give to us, but nothing about the necessity of obedience to Him; much about health and happiness, but nothing about holiness and sacrifice. Their message is full of gaps, the greatest of which leaves out a biblical worldview of the saving gospel and replaces it with the worldview of postmodernism with its dominant ethical system of relativism. The Bible describes mankind in the end times: “always learning and never able to come to the knowledge of the truth” (2 Tim. 3:7). Spiritual answers cannot be deduced by human reason alone (1 Cor. 2:14). It’s not that spiritual truth is irrational or illogical, but that human wisdom is defective, because it’s tainted by man’s sinfulness, and unable to perceive the things of God. That is why the Bible is so important. It gives us the answers we can’t find on our own. It is God’s Word to mankind. Scripture is divinely revealed truth that fills the vacuum of spiritual ignorance in all of us. Post-truth is the word of the year for 2016 and also the philosophy of the day, According to the dictionary, “post-truth” means, “relating to or denoting circumstances in which objective facts are less influential in shaping public opinion than appeals to emotion and personal belief.” Simply put, we now live in a culture that seems to value experience and emotion more than truth. In a “post-truth” world, people make choices based on emotion and experience rather than objective fact. So in a post-truth world, truth is irrelevant. What exactly is a post-truth culture? It’s a culture where truth is no longer an objective reality. It has become subjective. It’s what’s true for me—my beliefs, my opinions, determine my truth. So in our post-truth culture, man determines truth. Man makes himself the ultimate authority. This starting point, which rejects God’s Word and the idea of moral absolutes, makes truth subjective. Truth will never go away no matter how hard one might wish. Christianity is grounded in objective truth. “And you shall know the truth, and the truth shall make you free” (John 8:32). Objective truth exists because we have God’s Word. In the Gospel of John, Jesus says, “Sanctify them by Your truth. Thy word is truth” (John 17:17), and Paul and James describe the Bible as “the word of truth” (2 Timothy 2:15; James 1:18). The Psalmist says, “The entirety of your word is truth” (Psalm 119:160). Jesus Himself said, “For this cause I was born, and for this cause I have come into the world, that I should bear witness to the truth. Everyone who is of the truth hears My voice” (John 18:37). When Jesus said, “I am the Way, the Truth, and the Life. No one comes to the Father except by me” (John 14:6), He wasn’t expressing His personal belief or opinion. He was speaking the truth, a fundamental reality that doesn’t change from person to person. It doesn’t matter if our culture thinks all roads lead to God. The truth of the matter is “no one comes to the Father but by [Jesus].” This blogs goal is to, in some small way, put a plug in the broken dam of truth and save as many as possible from the consequences—temporal and eternal. "The further a society drifts from truth, the more it will hate those who speak it." - George Orwell

"Our threat is from the insidious forces working from within which have already so drastically altered the character of our free institutions — those institutions we proudly called the American way of life. " -- Gen. Douglas MacArthur